USgamer interview with SoS producer Hashimoto
Posted: Apr 16, 2015 5:08 pm
Not very long, but has some interesting tidbits.
"Before, we wanted to separate Rune Factory and Bokujo Monogatari because they were so similar, but now we have players asking if features in Rune Factory are going to be implemented in future Bokujo Monogatari titles. Staff on both teams are always excited to receive feedback and enjoy learning from each other."
"I believe gaining everything instantaneously is not the best option," says Hashimoto. "Just like real farming and cooking, you can’t always expect to get everything immediately. At the same time, we don’t want people to get bored so we try to make it fun by gradually raising everything without it being too tiring. In Japan, you can think of it as enjoying bonsai."
I'm wondering if the people who wanted more RF elements in the Bokumono games were talking about dialogue, because I would fully be on board with that happening. Very interesting to see what they might do with said feedback for the next game in the series though!Animals you care for can die if not taken care of properly, and Hashimoto has received plenty of feedback on this issue; some view it as too sad, while parents appreciate this aspect for showing the needs of a living thing. Even with this negative feedback, Hashimoto remains steadfast in keeping these harsh-but-realistic qualities intact for the sake of education, as he explains: "[An animal can] become sick because you aren’t taking care of it properly, and no matter what kind of animal it is, it has 'life.' Having young players play without that being said will not prepare them for the future, and I was thinking of creating that opportunity where adults playing with their children could explain it and have them start thinking about it."